Coaching and Care of Athletes

THE HOP, STEP, AND JUMP the marks at ro ft., r7ft., and 27ft. ( ro :7: ro) =27ft. total distance, and repeat the practice. Carry on the practice with the athlete working at a walk, a trot, and a light run. As progress is made and the speed of the approach becomes greater increase the total length of the triple effort in the ratio of ro:7:ro. When a total length is being at– tempted in which the athlete begins to find difficulty either in hitting each mark accurately or in making the total distance alter the spacing of the marks in the ratio of rg:r4 :2r. For example, if the athlete is required to make 41 ft. approximately the marks would be placed at 15! ft., 25! ft., and 41ft. (r5l:rot:r5!)=41 ft. total distance; or for a 27-ft. effort from an easy approach gt ft., r6t ft., and 27ft. (gl:7:ro!). By varying the ratio the coach should discover which propor– tionate efforts best suit the individual athlete. Two important considerations in these practices, and, indeed, throughout training and competition, are accuracy and rhythm. The athlete must hit each mark in succession with the appropriate foot. The coach can set the cadence by calling "Ta!-Ta !- Ta!" as the athlete completes each of the three springs comprising the whole triple effort. In some cases I have made use of a metronome to get the right beat. The majority of jumping in practice should be done with only a half-run. The coach will work, ofcourse, on such points already mentioned as getting the athlete's hips well up, perfecting relaxed reaction of the leg in its backward swing (Plate XLVIII, Figs. 145 and 146), relaxation at each landing, body-angle, arm action, continuous progress, and so on. Many of the faults shown by the broad jumper and mentioned already in Chapter XXIV must be guarded against. Special faults to watch for, which may not have been inferred conversely from the advice given already, are seen when the athlete kicks the foot forward, instead oflifting the knee, or uses a hard back-heeling action, instead of a relaxed backward reaction swing of the leg. He may allow his body to drag, so that his lower limbs get ahead of.his trunk, when he will be unable to get his centre of gravity over his ta~e-offfoot on landing and in front of his foot fulcrum in taking off for the next effort; or, perhaps, he does not make enough use of arm-swing to help his progress, or of knee-lift to elevate the hips. Another bad fault is seen in the man who persistently turns his trunk partly to the side in the step action. Failure to 379